The newly accredited companies include Business Associates (BA's) and Covered Entities (CE's) and are among the nation's leading companies in their respective fields, including:

"Achieving URAC HIPAA Privacy Accreditation is a great accomplishment for these companies and speaks to the quality of their HIPAA compliance programs," said Garry Carneal, URAC president and CEO. "URAC is pleased to have launched a third-party evaluation program that helps health care organizations validate their HIPAA compliance efforts internally and to external stakeholders such as the government, professional liability insurers, consumers and other interested parties."

Each of the accredited companies presented diverse ways in which they structured their compliance programs to meet the unique needs of their businesses while demonstrating compliance with the URAC HIPAA Privacy Accreditation Standards and the HIPAA Privacy regulation. URAC's accreditation process accommodates the review of highly customized compliance programs because of the inherent flexibility and agnostic approach of the Standards as they relate to information delivery systems - both paper and electronic.

"URAC's Privacy Accreditation award is not only a testament that these health care organization have a first-rate HIPAA regulatory compliance program," said Lisa Gallagher, URAC's senior vice president of Information and Technology Accreditation, "the accreditation program also can be used by accredited organizations as part of their risk management strategies to address new areas of liability exposure arising from the increased reliance on information technology solutions and other advancements in health care."

The companies that have received this prestigious new accreditation have lauded the new Privacy Accreditation Program as an additional sign of trust and credibility:

"American Specialty Health is committed to providing high-quality, proprietary information technology to our providers, members, and clients. We're pleased to have passed URAC's rigorous standards for HIPAA Privacy, and to be among the first organizations to achieve this impressive distinction." - George DeVries, president and CEO of American Specialty Health.

"We're very proud to rank among the first organizations to have earned this prestigious accreditation. BCE Emergis has built a strong HIPAA privacy compliance program because we believe in the importance of safeguarding our clients' personal health information. Our URAC accreditation will drive home this commitment with our clients." - François Côté, president of BCE Emergis eHealth (U.S.).

"BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee is very proud to have met the URAC Privacy Standards. BCBST has always taken the privacy of its members very seriously, and we did have to make some changes based on the new law. We had an excellent team and executive support which is a must when implementing changes resulting from complex and ambiguous new laws." - Tena Roberson, Privacy Officer for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Inc.

"Our company's place in the first wave of URAC HIPAA accreditations is a testament to our dedication to providing complete security for our members' health information. Blue Cross has been in the forefront of compliance implementation and proactive measures, and will continue to meet or exceed URAC standards, which we consider the benchmark for excellence in health care organizations." - Kathryn M. Sullivan, President and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

"Privacy is a fundamental patient right and an integral part of the healthcare delivery process. Imogen Systems is committed to the creation of best-of-breed healthcare documentation and management solutions, with the patient's best interests as the foremost goal. Privacy accreditation demonstrates Imogen Systems' quest for leadership and commitment to excellence." - S. Sam Finn, president of Imogen Systems

"We decided early on to move beyond mere compliance with HIPAA regulations and seek accreditation from the organization that sets the bar for the industry. Wausau Benefits is committed to providing the best administrative services possible to our customers, and meeting URAC's high standards for protecting sensitive information reinforces that commitment to excellence." -Fred Moore, President and CEO of Wausau Benefits

 URAC HIPAA Privacy Accreditation is awarded for a two-year period, at the end of which an accredited organization must submit a reaccreditation application for URAC's review before accreditation is granted for additional two-year periods. For more information contact Eamon Bobowski of URAC's Information and Technology Accreditation Department at (202) 962-8835 or by sending e-mail to ita@urac.org.